Process of manufacturing articles by electro-deposition of metals upon forms



W. WALLACE.

No. 290,949. Patented Dec. 25, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM \VALLACE, OF ANSON IA, CONNECTICUT.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING ARTICLES BY ELECTRO-DEPOSITIO'N 0F METALS UPONFORMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,949, dated December25, 1883.

Applii alien-filed November 3,1583.

T0 aZl whom it may cancer/1 Be it known that I, WILLIAM WALLAcE, ofAnsonia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improve- .ment in the Process of Manufacturing Articlesby Electro Deposition of Metal upon Forms; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with accompanying drawing and theletters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawing constitutes part of thisspecification, and represents avertical section through a form and themetal deposited thereon, as in the manufacture of locomotive head-lightreflectors.

This invention relates to an improvement in the'manufaeture of thatclass of articles which are made by electro-depositing metal upon formsof the required shape. In the usual process of manufacturing sucharticles, a form of the required shape is subjected to the electro-depositing operation until the requisite amount of metal isdeposited thereon. Suppose, for illustration, it be alocomotive-reflector. The exterior surface of the form A, Fig. 1,represents the shape of the interior of the reflector. Upon'this surfacemetal is deposited, as indicated by solid black a. The metal deposited,the article thus produced must be removed from the form, and this isusually done by applying a force to the edge of the article. The metalis in the closest possible proximity to the form, and will adherethereto, so that a great force is required to remove it, and in soremoving many articles are destroyed.

To obviate this difficulty is the object of my invention; and itconsists insubjecting the metal so deposited upon the form to a pressureof fluid introduced between the outer surface of theform and the innersurface of the metal deposited, as more fully hereinafter described.

I make a small opening, I), through the form extending to some point orpoints in the outer surface of the form, and which will be inside thearticle deposited thereon. The hole at the surface of the form I closeby a slight filling of wax, d, or otherwise, so as to preserve theperfect surface of theform. Then, after the metal is deposited in theusual manner, and as before described to produce the article, I removethe wax and apply fluid under pressure-say waterled to the opening, say,through a tube, 0. The water thus forced starts the metal from the formand forces its way over the entire surface of the form, and thereby sogradually removing the deposited metal or article as not to injure it inthe slightest degree.

Instead of Water, any known fluid maybe employed; but it should be ofsuch a nature as to readily flow and make its way between the outersurface of the form and the inner surface of the mctaldeposited thereon.I have illustrated this one form, believing that to be suff cient toenable those skilled in the art to apply my invention to the removing ofarticles irrespective of their shape from forms upon which the metal mayhave been deposited.

I elaim-- The herein-described improvement in the manufacture ofarticles by electro-deposit of metal upon forms, consisting insubjecting the article on the form to a pressure of fluid introducedbetween the outer surface of the form and the inner surface of thearticle, whereby said article is removed from the form, andsubstantially as described.

UM. \VALLACE.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE H, I-IAWLEY, CHAS. F. KUcH.

